THE DUTY OF SOVEREIGNS. 



That never had shed blood for Freedom's sake, 



Nor worn her colours on thv plumed crest ! 



Shame on thee ! what thou inight'st have done is clear. 



Nor can'st thou now evade the damning stain 



Of foul reproach which still must cling to thte. 



Conniving, as thou didst, at Poland's wrongs. 



Oh ! had the British lion from thy shore 



Plung'd into ocean, and with dauntless breast. 



And streaming mane terrific, stemm'd the seas, 



How had the Baltic trembled at the sight ! 



How had the Karpacs echoed with his roar ! 



While slaves that languish in Siberian wastes 



Had heard the glorious sound with ecstacy. 



Shame on thee, France, white-liver'd France ! (for then 



Thv lilies were a symbol fit for thee) 



That thou didst not pour forth thv chivalry, 



Thy armed youth, invincible indeed 



Had Britan'join'd thee — and with rapid march 



Baffle this new-fledged tyrant of his will. 



And Austria, thou,— absorbing gulf of freedom. 



In which fair Italy has sunk at last, — 



Thou many-kingdom'd nation of fierce slaves 



Which soon shall drag from thy ensanguin'd brow 



Thv bold tiara, gemm'd with pilfer'd spoils. 



Thou hypocrite, — whose " arm'd neutrality " 



Was but a secret coaipact with the lluss, — 



Could nought appeal to thee ?— could nought avail ? 



Could not the claim of gratitude, well earn'd, 



Kmck at thv heart for one remembrancer No. — 



Ee nemberest thou when Sobieski came, 



In thv most abject need, — or else thy name, 



Austria, ere this, had been of things that were — 



And with fell valour suddenly put forth 



S atter'd the Moslem host, and with his sword 



S uck down her glittering crescent to the dust ?" 



"Yet Poland shall be free— she shall be free — 

 The sound of her immeasurable wrongs. 

 The sound of her de?i?airing voice, goes forth 

 To all the nations, and the time's at hand 

 When, Russia, thou shalt pay the great account, 

 /nl retribution shall be wreak'd on thee. 

 Say, dost thou fondly tliink that liberty, 

 Wiiich, lilce the element of water pent 

 In the earth's centre by compulsive force. 

 At length must find its level — dost thou think 

 That freedom, portion of the living God, 

 His attribute and essence, and His power, 

 Shall be subdued by thee ? — oh vain of thought ! — 

 Thou think'st, perchance, he Polish husbandman 

 Shall deem his bondage Ugirt, when he beholds 



